The Band's Visit (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (2,088)
See it if great music and singing
Don't see it if no reason not to see this wonderful show.
See it if Going you love great story telling.
Don't see it if If you want a fast moving show.
See it if you want to see a beautiful show about people from different backgrounds coming together and forming meaningful connections.
Don't see it if if you need a show that has a lot of action. It is very slow and takes place over one night.
See it if You are patient for a slower paced, but beautifully written, staged show.
Don't see it if You need a big production musical.
See it if You are interested in a small personal musical. You prefer characters over speactacle. You like intimate-feeling theater.
Don't see it if You want big production numbers or choreography. Read more
See it if u r looking for the sleeper of 2018 season. By far THE best musical I saw this season. I was captivated from the opening to closing!
Don't see it if You want a classical dance/big set/big costume type of musical. I LOVED it!!!
See it if You like intimate stories and international music. The score is stunning and one of the most unique I've heard on stage.
Don't see it if You want standard Broadway Blockbuster fare. This is a beautiful story but it is a mature, relaxed production. Read more
See it if you appreciate small and mighty storytelling, your drama laced with comedy (or the other way around?), and musician fused within the story
Don't see it if you're looking for a 'traditional' musical
Critic Reviews (62)
"A tender, intimate gem of musical theatre...Defined by a delicately calibrated score by David Yazbek (his best yet) and the sensitive, relaxed direction...Cromer lets the individual stories enfold, like relaxed, conversations between strangers getting to know each other. Yazbek’s songs emerge naturalistically from Moses’ book...Life’s problems - and its little (and not so little) ups and downs – get answered in small, unsuspecting ways...The audience cheers."
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“’The Band’s Visit’ lives happily without all the usual tawdry tricks beloved by standard-issue Broadway musicals...Nothing that happens in ‘The Band’s Visit’ is ‘very important.’ It’s just all wonderful — heartwarming, heartbreaking, heart-confusing, and mind-stimulating...We get floods of charm, empathy, and human understanding, thanks to Moses’s script, Yazbek’s songs, and Cromer’s stunningly discreet, daringly austere production.”
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“Quenches a thirst for something satisfying on Broadway and it's different than any other drink being offered...Expressive lyrics and a well-written book...If the performances and music weren't enough to make this a top pick, there are some bonuses as well...Its silence about politics, says more about the good of humanity and the ability for people from different backgrounds to get along...A second bonus is that the musicians who are on stage are really, really good.”
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“Extraordinary...Moses’ economical book and especially Yazbek’s seductive score delve deep into and celebrate the human condition...Director David Cromer has outdone himself here. The sensitivity with which he treats each character and their respective plights, as well as the patience of his storytelling, is nothing short of miraculous...The cast is absolutely divine...Their ensemble work and music-making make the show.”
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"The plot plays out as universal and resonant. Twice I have walked out at the end of this show with renewed love for humanity, hope for musical theater as an art form, and humming a few delicious, haunting melodies...The journeys taken by these characters are peppered with delicate, funny, heartbreaking solos...This seamless transfer from Chelsea to Broadway gives us the season’s first dose of potent theatrical magic."
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“This musical marries very traditional musical theatre structure, courtesy of Itamar Moses’s sturdy book, and traditional Egyptian classical music...Though the ensemble work is terrific, with Lenk and Shaloub the definite stand outs, the real star here is David Yazbek’s masterful score. He shows that he can create beautiful, affecting music in any idiom he sets his mind to, while never losing sight of the need for theatrical effectiveness.”
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“There is a new lullaby on Broadway, with a fusion of influences from the big bands to traditional Egyptian music, to get lost in – enchantingly lost, that is, and charmed...Because the musicians are on stage throughout the play, the human harmony that emerges, amidst the haunting blend of instruments is wondrous...Cromer mines the humanity of the piece...Yazbek blends a range of musical genres in a unique way...It’s the brilliance of the musicality that drives the show.”
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"Cromer’s sensitive direction and Yazbek’s music and lyrics capture the feelings and growth of overnight friendship between the two, and Shalhoub and Lenk persuasively play their roles. The friendship that develops between Israeli and Egyptian is critical to the theme that we are all humans who seek a sense of belonging...This is a sweet, heart-warming and charming musical. The show is suited for everyone, but it might be a bit slow-moving for some theatergoers."
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